First postulated in 1912, three-dimensional (3D) imaging is not new. Currently, various 3D display systems—from holographic imaging systems to medical computed tomography (CT) 3D scanners to auto-stereoscopic display monitors—can create a visual representation of an object in three physical dimensions without the help of 3D glasses. Some of the 3D display systems can project a 3D light field within a volume (hence volumetric) via the emission, scattering, or relaying of illumination from regions in a space defined by x, y, z planes.
However, due to factors such as cost, size, reliability, etc., 3D display systems remain accessible virtually entirely to academics, corporations, and the military. Consequently, there is always room for innovations and improvements.